WTT Star Contender Chennai: Sharath loses R16, bids goodbye to sport
The 3-0 defeat against his fellow compatriot meant this was Sharath’s final official match after he had announced his retirement in advance on March 5, 2025
Sharath Kamal during the match
CHENNAI: Table Tennis legend Sharath Kamal hung his boots following his face-off against Snehit Suravajjula in the Men’s Singles Round of 16 at WTT Star Contender Chennai.
The 3-0 defeat against his fellow compatriot meant this was Sharath’s final official match after he had announced his retirement in advance on March 5, 2025.
In front of cheering fans at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Sharath played a spirited exhibition match against Egypt’s Omar Assar, which served as his final good-bye, before delivering an emotional address to the gathered crowd, during which he underlined his intent to continue contributing to Table Tennis–albeit from the other side.
“Somewhere down the line I had felt it’s enough and I wanted to explore the possibility of giving back to the sport from the other side of the court. I have done my part as a player, I felt I had contributed enough to the country as a player, and I want to contribute from the other side, as an administrator, or a coach, a mentor, or even as just a senior player,” Sharath said.
The 42-year-old also thanked family, friends, fans, and employers IndianOil for their constant support and expressed gratitude towards the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, Stupa Sports Analytics, Ultimate Table Tennis, TTFI, and ITTF for the successful event.
